Just a quick entry since i've just only updated myself with the two latest 'local' happenings in singapore.

1) 3 ang moh tourists from UK took a trishaw ride along clarke quay. all 3 grown men squeezed onto one trishaw pedaled by an old man. throughout the trip, they kept taunting him about the speed, and at the end of the journey, paid him only $5 instead of the $10 the old man was expecting because 'their money got nicked'. (sidenote: c'mon this is sg, it's not so common for your $$ to get 'nicked') BUT! the best part was, they filmed all of this on video and posted it up on youtube.

2) star blogger michelle quek and her friend were walking around toa payoh hub when her bag accidentally hit a chinese woman who was with her supposed ang moh bf. the chinese woman alledgedly hit michelle on her back with an umbrella in return, and the caucasian reportedly beat up the two girls. an 'ah beng' and some uncles stepped up to help the two girls, and blocked the angmoh and his gf from escaping. again, this was posted on youtube.

Needless to say, both incidents led to a public outrage and a whole slew of curses, expletives, and threats ensued. online, of course.

Well, the point of this post isnt to debate the morality of the committed acts. It also isnt about whether racial discrimination formed the main motivation behind these acts. In my opinion, it is just unfortunate that both incidents involved ang mohs and resulted in the conflicts being 'inter-racial'.

While there's been many complaints that the government should be doing something to protect our locals from these supposed 'acts of racism', people must understand that such conflicts do happen from time to time.

the underlying problem, in fact, seems to be something else. what the government should be wary of instead, is the community's response to these incidents. a good majority of the comments made by our locals carried the bitter tune of 'don't think you foreigners can bully us just because we're singaporeans'.

isn't it sad that our locals have this sort of mentality? isnt it sad that even we, as singaporeans, right here in our own country, feel diminished in the face of foreigners? isn't it sad that our locals have to go to such extreme, hurling insults and all, just to feel that maybe 'justice' can be delivered this way?

had the 'villians' in the above incidents not been angmohs, but one of our locals instead, i dont think the public would have been as bitter about it. furthermore, this feeling of 'bitterness' towards foreigners certainly didnt seem like it was cultivated overnight.

perhaps, the question to ponder about is: did our government's pro globalization and trade policies result in our middle strata feeling like they're 2nd class citizens in their home country?

this revelation is so sad because we know that no matter which country we migrate to, we will always be treated as a 2nd class citizen.. but to feel that way even in your own country... it's... a lot sadder.

period.